?You need to eat less calories, exercise more and choose healthier foods.? Does this sound familiar? Often times after leaving a doctor?s appointment and being informed about your ever rising cholesterol levels, borderline blood pressure and excessive weight gain, you leave the office with these words of wisdom. It sounds like a great idea but as you start to think about your plan of action, you often wonder what these code words mean. It seems as though you need to figure out how to decipher the code to become successful in obtaining your doctor?s wishes in improving your health, but at the same time you struggle in trying not to lose your sense of satisfaction of fulfillment when nourishing your body. Just how much do you give up to obtain a healthy lifestyle without compromising the joy you experience from eating your favorite foods?

As a Registered Dietitian, I have witnessed this transition from bariatric pre-op to bariatric post op. It may be difficult, as it will take some work and effort on your part, especially in the beginning as you learn how to retrain your body into craving specific food items. Understanding food labels and knowing what to look for while grocery shopping is the starting point to your success in becoming a healthier you.

Depending on your personal goals, there are specific items you should target for your individual needs. As a post bariatric patient, protein is a very important food component. It is not only is used for growth and repair of the human body, but since carbohydrates are limited due to potential dumping syndrome (such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), protein is also used as a source of energy. Therefore, when reading a food label, the first item you should review is the amount of protein in that product. The values will differ from various food sources, i.e. animal protein will contain a larger amount of protein than a piece of fruit or a vegetable would. This means the higher the protein, the more beneficial.
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Carbohydrates are the next important item on the food label as it provides energy for the brain and muscles. Sugar and fiber fall under the umbrella term carbohydrate. There are ?good carbohydrates? that are low on the glycemic index and are high in fiber to help sustain one?s appetite and energy levels; then, there are ?bad? carbohydrates that are very high on the glycemic index which do not sustain energy for long periods of time. For example, a piece of whole grain bread will contain more fiber and less sugar than a candy bar, helping to increase the length of feeling full in between meals and also helping with proper GI motility. It is very important to understand the difference between a high fiber carbohydrate source versus a high sugar carbohydrate source.

The next component to decipher on a food label is calories per serving, in addition to serving size. Many times consumers purchase 100 calorie snack bags of their favorite cookies or crackers, but fail to limit their consumption to only one bag. When analyzing food labels, identify the serving size and put that into perspective with your current dietary habits. Can you stop after eating three cookies or seven crackers? If you cannot, be honest with the quantity you would most likely consume in one sitting and multiple that number by the calories per serving listed on the food label. The final answer is the number of calories you would be consuming by eating that food item. Does that fall into your healthier lifestyle or recommended calorie consumption? If not, move on to the next food item that does. If trying to lose weight, calories in versus calories out will be the key to ?tip the scale.? The amount of calories you burn off through daily activities and exercise will have to exceed the amount of calories you consume throughout the day. Cutting back on calories can be beneficial in achieving your goal; but just how much are you willing to cut out? This will vary depending on your activity level throughout the day and your intended short-term weight loss goal within a specific time period. A Registered Dietitian will be able to assist you in creating this timeline and goal weight.

Fat is essential to our bodies in maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating body organs against shock, maintaining body temperature and promoting healthy cell function. Dietary fats carry the highest number of calories per gram, nine (9), but are still needed to help transport Vitamins A, D, E and K. If you are battling with high cholesterol levels, limiting the amount of saturated fat you consume can help to improve your lab values. Unsaturated fats are the best sources to consume, which include olive oil, avocado, nuts, sesame seeds and fish.

On the next page there is a reference on how to read a food label. Take it with you on your next trip to the grocery store and use this valuable tool to help guide you in finding the treasure, good health.

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Jeannette Kotrys, RD has nearly five years of experience as a Registered Dietitian, has an extensive background in weight management, preventative cardiovascular programs, bariatrics and general health and wellness.

We asked OH Members, ?Are food labels helpful to you? What parts of the label matter the most to you??

There is so much on the nutrition label. All I look for is calories, serving size, carbs, fat, protein, sugar (including sugar alcohols) and sometimes sodium. I don?t care how much of the daily values it is because that is usually for 2000 cal diet. There is just way too much and it would be a lot easier if it was less cluttered or if certain things stood out a little more, whether they were highlighted or bolded.
WWIIRosie
Sheridan, IL
Surgeon: Roger Maillefer, M.D.
Surgery: REALIZE Band (08/27/08)
Member Since: 02/14/09

Like most people, there are just a few things I pay attention to when reading the nutritional panel on a label: serving size, calories, fat, carbs, protein, sugars, and, at times, fiber. While I wonder if anyone pays attention to the percent of Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet (does anyone actually try to get all the recommended levels in with food?), I figure that and all the other info. that?s not important to me must be important to someone. If I were that ?someone,? I?d want it to be there. It?s pretty easy for me to scan a label, to see what I care to see. At this point, I?m not trying too many new foods, so I have the information. already somewhere (food log).
There are some sneaky ways to fool the public, to try to make yucky food look like it?s not so bad for you. That?s one reason why it?s important to look at serving size vs. number of servings per package. If it?s laughable, they?re trying to hide something (in my opinion).
marylaw
Winfield, KS
Surgeon: Gregory Walton, M.D.
Surgery: VSG (11/17/08)
Member Since: 07/26/08

I don?t bother counting calories nor limiting fat, so all I ever pay much attention to is carbs and protein. And no, I don?t differentiate between carbs and sugars - in my world, a carb is a carb whether it be from oatmeal or candy. The % daily value is meaningless to most of us here (and to most of the world, really). And I don?t care to take the time to figure out what % of the calories are coming from carbs, protein, etc...not sure why you do that, but it?s way too much work for me. I focus on getting in 80+ grams of protein and limiting carbs (severely right now - I?m eating maybe 12-15g carbs per day on average right now), and I tend to choose FULL fat items instead of reduced-, low-, or non-fat options.
jillybean720
Woodbridge, VA
Surgeon: Michael A. Schweitzer M.D.
Surgery: Other (03/27/09)
Member Since: 07/08/08

I look at protein, calories, fiber and total carbs. My biggest pet peeve is when the serving size is listed in grams instead of oz.
jojoplus2
MN
Surgeon: Jeffrey Baker M.D.
Surgery: Lap Band (04/17/08)
Member Since: 07/24/07